Better Safe Than Sorry (a McRoll in the REAL World story)
by sammy1026
Summary: Steve and Danny draw a line when it comes to gift giving.


_Mari & Ilna-you guys are the absolute best! Thank you for EVERYTHING! With a special thanks to Mari for trading days with me and posting Friday so I could have a little extra time. YOU'RE THE BEST!_

 _REAL Worlders-you guys are awesome. Thanks for all the support and encouragement._

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 **Better Safe Than Sorry (1/1)**

"Mom, we talked about this," Catherine sighed softly as Elizabeth reached into the bag on her lap and pulled out yet another new holiday outfit for Angie.

"Talked about what?" Elizabeth asked guilelessly.

"Don't try that innocent act on me." Catherine chuckled as Joseph covered his own laugh with a cough. "Angie does not need to have multiple wardrobe changes on every holiday. And weekend. And basically any day that ends in y."

"But look how cute this is." Elizabeth held up the brightly colored two-piece outfit. "The reindeer's nose lights up."

Catherine tried to look stern but the white shirt, adorned with a multi-dimensional reindeer head that featured fuzzy antlers and the aforementioned light up nose, along with matching red and white candy cane striped leggings, really was adorable. She was positive Angie would love the ensemble.

Still, she had to stay strong.

"It's very cute." she agreed. "But Angie already has half a dozen cute holiday outfits. Most of them courtesy of you."

"Your father bought the red velvet Santa outfit," Elizabeth pointed out with a nod towards Joseph.

Catherine shook her head. "Okay then, courtesy of the two of you."

"You know what Danny says," Elizabeth continued as she pulled a pair of red and white socks out of the bag. "You can't spoil children Angie's age."

"Danny is an excellent father," Catherine replied. "Grace is living proof of that, but considering the fact that he likes to take Angie to the mall almost as much as you do, I'm not sure we should take his word for the no spoiling thing."

"Your Grandma Ang used to bring you little presents every time she visited." Elizabeth countered. "She never came through the door without something in hand for you. And when we were overseas, or stationed somewhere she couldn't visit, little packages arrived in the mail on a regular basis. When you got old enough to read you were always thrilled to see they were addressed to you personally."

Catherine smiled at the memory. "I felt so grown up."

"And you have never behaved like a spoiled brat a minute in your life," Elizabeth said proudly. "Because when you raise a child to be grateful and generous it doesn't matter how many 'things' they're given."

Catherine shot her mother a resigned smile. "Can you just try to rein it in a little, please?"

"I'll try," Elizabeth said as sincerely as she possibly could.

"Of course that will have to wait until after she picks up the other things she ordered this morning," Joseph teased.

Before Catherine could say anything the sound of Angie's sleepy voice came through the baby monitor. "Mama. Mama. Mama."

"I'll get her," Joseph offered.

"Thanks, Dad." Catherine turned back to her mother. "You ordered other outfits?"

"There's a young woman named Marisol who brings her son to the tutoring program," Elizabeth explained. "Her husband is deployed overseas and she has three kids under the age of seven. She's an amazing designer and seamstress and she's been making children's clothes and selling them to help with expenses. She made this outfit." Elizabeth pointed to the bag, "And yes, I ordered several others from her. But, if you really think about it, I'm helping support a small business run by a female entrepreneur. I know you agree with me that that's the kind of thing we want to teach Angie to do from a young age."

Catherine chuckled. "Oh, you're good. You had that answer ready and waiting, didn't you?"

"I may have anticipated your objection." Elizabeth nodded with a smile. "But even with the things I buy at the mall, once Angie grows out of them we donate them to shelters and other organizations so they can have a second and maybe even a third life. It's not like we're wasteful."

"You win, Mom." Catherine smiled as Joseph reentered the kitchen carrying a wide-eyed and smiling Angie.

"Mama!" The toddler held out her arms and Catherine took her from Joseph, hugged her tightly and placed a loud kiss on her cheek. Angie wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and attempted to mirror the kiss.

"How's my baby girl? Did you have a nice nap?" Catherine asked.

Angie nodded then squealed "Ama!" when she spotted her grandmother.

"Hello, angel." Elizabeth wiggled her fingers at her granddaughter.

"Mama!" Angie pointed at Elizabeth. "Ama!"

"I see her," Catherine smiled.

Angie brought her hand to her mouth, kissed it loudly, and flung her arm towards Elizabeth. "Mwah!"

"I caught it!" Elizabeth said delightedly before blowing her own kiss back towards Angie who giggled with glee.

As Catherine watched the interaction, she thought about how much richer Angie's life would be having her grandparents and great grandmother as a daily presence in her world. She thought about the amazing relationship she shared with Grandma Ang and about the special kind of unconditional love only a grandparent could offer a child. If the tradeoff for that was that she had to deal with her mother's sometimes over the top shopping, that's a trade she was more than happy to make.

* * *

"Would you be willing to build a barn in back of your house so I can get Angie a pony for Christmas?" Danny asked as the partners drove back towards the palace after spending the day running down leads in a murder case.

Steve pinned him with a glare. "You're not funny."

"I think it's important to instill a love of animals early," Danny continued, struggling to keep his face neutral. "A horse would help with that."

"So would a dog," Steve pointed out. "Which we already have."

Danny continued on undeterred. "How about a llama?"

"I don't even have to entertain your nonsense because you know Catherine would filet you alive if you ever even thought about it," Steve said.

Danny sighed in acknowledgment. "That's true. I guess I'll just have to stick with things that make a lot of noise."

"Don't you have your own daughter's gifts to worry about?" Steve asked.

"Sadly, no." Danny frowned. "Her cheerleading team is taking a trip to Disney World in the spring and she said all she wants this year is cash for spending money or mall gift certificates so she can buy some new clothes."

"It seems like just yesterday she was leaving the toy catalog on your desk with the things she wanted circled in red sparkly ink," Steve reminisced.

"Tell me about it." Danny leaned his head back against the headrest. "It goes fast, my friend. One minute they're babies and the next they're planning trips to Florida with their friends."

"Are you chaperoning?"

Danny shook his head. "Not this time." They rode in silence for a few seconds before he continued. "Look … you know I'm proud of the woman Grace is becoming." He took a deep breath. "And as much as I kid about locking her away until she's thirty the truth is, I actually enjoy watching her move into this next phase in her life. It's all stretched out in front of her and the possibilities are limitless. This is what Rachel and I have been working towards and watching Grace, my little girl, take on the world … so poised and confident … it makes me proud even if it terrifies me at the same time."

Steve nodded in understanding but remained silent sensing Danny had more to say.

"I wouldn't trade who Grace is now for the world, but sometimes I think if I could go back to when she was Angie's age, if I could hear that little squeal and watch her experience so many things for the first time … if I could have that back …" He drifted off, lost in thought.

"She's still experiencing lots of things for the first time," Steve pointed out.

"True." Danny nodded. "All I'm saying is … enjoy every minute of these years with Angie because before you know it, she'll be grown."

"You have my word," Steve promised. "But in the meantime, could you do me a favor and not put the idea of a pony into her head?"

Danny snorted. "Because you know if she ever really asks for one you won't be able to say no."

"Something like that." Steve smirked. "But thankfully I'm pretty sure Catherine would have no problem nixing the idea of a horse."

Danny nodded. "Just make sure Angie doesn't ask Joseph and Elizabeth first. Because if that happens I'm pretty sure you're gonna be the proud owners of a horse."

Steve started to wave his partner off then thought of his conversation the previous evening with Catherine as they folded laundry when she commented on how many new outfits Elizabeth had purchased for Angie.

"It might be a good idea to tell Joseph and Elizabeth no animals of any kind as gifts without your approval," Danny chuckled.

Knowing Catherine's parents as he did, Steve smiled. "It certainly couldn't hurt. Better safe than sorry."

 **THE END**

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